Loose Ends
by etherealdiscord
Summary: At 25 the Tree Hill gang has seen their share of love and betrayal. It's been seven years since they went on their ways to college and now their worlds are about to collide again when a tragedy brings them all back to Tree Hill.
1. Where Are You Now

**Title: **Loose Ends

**Summary: **At 25 the Tree Hill gang has seen their share of love and betrayal. It's been seven years since they went on their ways to college and now their worlds are about to collide again when a tragedy brings them all back to Tree Hill.

**Rating: **T

**Characters/Pairings: **I'd rather not say the pairings, but I can assure you there is Nathan/Haley. Other characters are Peyton, Brooke, Lucas, Rachel, Karen, Whitey and some original characters.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own OTH. All I own are Emily, Deena, Will, Mike, Liza, Craig, Adam and Amber. Don't sue.

**Notes: **This takes place seven years in the future. Since the OTH time line is about as clear as algebra to me, I've made the gang the class of 2007, since next year in 2007 will be the second semester of their senior year, therefore they're technically going to graduate in 2007, even though they were also seniors this year. What the gang's been up to will be explained in this chapter, no worries. As far as I know there are no spoilers for season four. I can assure you there are no intentional spoilers, I don't read them.

**Chapter One**

_**August 20, 2014**_

Nathan Scott let out a frustrated groan, pulling his sheets over his head tightly. The three week break his coach had given the team was quickly coming to an end and he wanted to savor every final moment of it. It wasn't often that the Charlotte Bobcats got a break from their training, of course they had to work hard to keep their high rankings, and he was enjoying every extra second that he got to spend at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Nathan's wife of the past nine years, Haley, had also lucked out in the vacation department. She had graduated from Duke in 2010 along with Nathan and had been offered a generous teaching position at a Charlotte high school. As one of the student's favorites she had found herself constantly roped into teaching an English summer school course. The school board had seen a significant improvement in the students' English scores since Haley had begun teaching, often giving her raises as she won more and more teacher of the month awards. She had gotten this summer off though, wanting to spend more time with her family.

Finally surrendering to the young brunette girl pulling at the covers, Nathan pushed himself up in bed and quickly wrapped his arms around his three year old daughter Emily, pulling her in close. Emily had certainly gotten his looks, no doubt about it, but she had her mother's brains. He had no doubt in his mind that she could take over the city when she got older.

The bedroom door opened as Haley entered, still clad in her pajamas, her hair thrown up messily. She crossed the room and climbed back into the large bed alongside her husband and daughter. Letting out a large yawn she looked over to Nathan.

"Emily figured out how to unlock the child proof locks on the front door," Haley told him, looking weary. Nathan groaned. "I blame you."

"Why?" he asked innocently, raising an eyebrow at Haley's accusation.

"Because I knew you when we were younger. I bet anything you were sneaking out of the house by middle school," Haley told him.

"Yeah..." Nathan admitted. "But she's three!" The two looked down at their daughter who had been watching the conversation back and forth between her parents, an amused smile growing on her face the whole time. Laughing, Haley shook her head at Nathan and pulled the sheets over her, snuggling down into the bed more and taking her daughter's hands in her own.

"No more giving mommy a heart attack, okay?" she asked Emily. The girl giggled and nodded her head vigorously.

* * *

"And here's the woman of the hour!" Mike Vaughn announced loudly as Brooke Davis entered her small boutique. Throwing open the curtains on the store window and flipping the sign mounted on the door over to "open" he expertly maneuvered his way through the racks of clothing and threw his arms around Brooke, pulling her into a tight hug.

"What's the occasion, Mike?" Brooke asked, laughing. In the four years she had known Mike he had always been over affectionate, they had worked well together that way, but this, attacking her as soon as she stepped foot into the shop, was bizarre.

"Dakota called," Mike said, breaking the hug. Brooke laughed again as she watched his eyes grow wide with excitement. The two had met in their fashion design class back in freshman year at Parsons School of Design and formed an instant bond. Over the years the two had become close, both pooling their money to move across country to San Diego. One night, tired of looking for somewhere to buy their clothing line the two had been laying around their apartment when Mike suggested they open their own shop. Neither of them had expected Davis & Vaughn Fashions to pick up so well, but after only being opened a few months the shop had truly taken off, even brining in celebrity clients.

"And?" Brooke asked, just as anxious as Mike now.

"She wants to wear the green dress!" he squealed excitedly, giving Brooke flashbacks to her days as a cheerleader back in North Carolina. Mike was gay as could be, which just made Brooke love him even more with no worries about making their friendship awkward with relationship drama.

"Oh my God!" Brooke screamed. A few people passing by the shop stopped to look in at the strange sight, two 20-somethings doing a celebratory dance with each other in the boutique, neither caring how stupid they looked, though both somewhat regretting the solid glass store front. Mike swung Brooke around before pulling her back in close and wrapping her in another tight hug as both jumped up and down.

"We're going to get so much exposure!" Brooke bounced. "This is the best day ever!"

* * *

"I've got coffee!" Peyton Sawyer announced, struggling to balance a rack of coffee cups and open up the door to the tiny corner art gallery she and three other friends had been running since their junior year in college. Bills had been tight and the four had bonded over nearly having to live together on the mean streets in a cardboard box. Granted, Rhode Island didn't really have any mean streets, but their location after college was another story.

"Excellent," Liza said as she emerged from the back office covered in paint, her red hair held back up in a messy bun by only a ballpoint pen. "Adam had a meeting with a potential client, so we can drink his coffee. Amber's around here somewhere. She's probably doing a strip tease in the display case." Peyton laughed as she sat the coffee down on one of the makeshift tables in the gallery and took a long drink of her own.

"I wouldn't put it by her," Peyton admitted. Amber was the wildest of the group, hands down. She had been the first one of the group that Peyton had met back at RISD and the blonde had no doubt in her mind that she had been drawn to Amber because of a somewhat eerie resemblance, both physically and mentally, Amber had to Brooke Davis, Peyton's former best friend.

"For your information I was washing the glass," Amber announced, coming into the main part of the gallery. "I would never do a strip tease in a display case. Take me to that nigh club down the street and then we'll talk." The three girls laughed and Liza wrapped an arm around the two.

"I think we're ready to re-open this place. Then we can all make millions and move into an upscale Manhattan apartment," Liza told them.

"Hey, Peyt hung a painting of an upscale Manhattan apartment on our cold, empty walls," Amber pointed out.

"Speaking of Peyt," Liza said, turning to face Peyton. "How was the doctors?"

"Usual big white building that smells bad. I'm fine guys," Peyton assured her friends. "Come on, we need to finish setting this place up. Then we can lock Adam out and make him crawl in through the ventilation system again." Amber smirked.

"Are we going to put another tarp full of pant down underneath the opening?" she asked. Rolling her eyes Liza took a hold of her friends' shirts and pulled them into the office.

"Way to be immature," she muttered.

* * *

Lucas Scott popped a pill into his mouth and forced it down his throat. After all those years he had mastered dry swallowing. Quickly cracking his knuckles he grabbed a towel and jogged out of the locker room and back into the gym. Rubbing the back of his neck with the towel he scanned the large gym looking for the student he was supposed to be meeting. After coming out about his heart condition senior year he had been benched, his dream of playing professional basketball had ended. Instead of dwelling on his lost opportunity, Lucas had embraced it.

After high school graduation he had moved to Florida to attend college, choosing to keep in the basketball business by becoming a sports medicine major and athletic trainer.

He was supposed to be meeting a huge upcoming college basketball player. It was rumored that he could give Charlotte legend-in-the-making star Nathan Scott, Lucas's very own brother, a run for his money after graduation. It also seemed to Lucas that basketball aside this student and Nathan had the same sense of time – None.

He was about to pack up and call it a day when the heavy doors to the gym swung open, a half dressed boy just a few years younger than Lucas entering.

"Went for a run, lost track of time," he offered up as an explanation, wiping some sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Run or not, Miami had reached record breaking temperatures that afternoon, the residents all fairly certain they would spontaneously combust if they left the comfort of their air conditioned homes. Taking a quick glance down at his watch, Lucas nodded.

"You're Craig?" he asked.

"Yeah, and you're Mr. Scott?" Craig asked him, though it was stating the obvious.

"Lucas, yeah," Lucas responded.

"Lets get this show on the road then," Craig responded.


	2. Phone Tag

**Notes: **I'd just like to say thank you to the reviewers from chapter one. I hope you all continue liking this. Also, depending on how this fic goes over with you all, I do have an idea for a sequel, I've had plans for one since I began outlining this fic. It all depends on if you guys like this one though.

**Chapter Two**

_**August 21, 2014**_

Not much had changed in Tree Hill, North Carolina over the years. The people had come and gone but the town had remained essentially the same. Tree Hill High School was still held at the center of the town, basketball the main staple of the school, blue and white Ravens banners covering the small area. The Rivercourt was still populated by the hopeful teenage boys, born on the wrong side of town, not the richest or the most popular but still full of dreams. The end of summer beach parties remained along side the burning boat ceremony. At the edge of town the students could still be found partying on the weekends at Tric or stopping in Karen's Café for an afternoon snack.

The memories of the Scott legacy had dwindled over time, the brothers moving on with their lives, Dan finally leaving the town. The wounds that had been inflicted by the family over the years healed and a sort of stillness had come to rest over the town. The memories of shootings and car crashes, fires and heartaches remained as nothing more than a light stain against the town, memories that had been pushed away by the departure of the involved.

Karen Roe had remained in Tree Hill, along with her business partner and best friend Deb Scott. Whitey Durham, former Ravens coach and a sort of father figure to everyone who had attended Tree Hill High during his reign.

Business in the small café was booming that Thursday afternoon, summer vacation was coming to an end and the students were trying to enjoy their last days of summer to the fullest. As Karen finished pouring a cup of coffee for one of her customers as a boy about seven popped up from behind the counter, phone in hand.

"Mom, some guy's on the phone for you. It's not Nathan or Lucas," he said, handing the phone to Karen. Accepting the phone, Karen smiled, remembering all the times Lucas and Haley had sat in the same spot under the counter when they were younger, even a few times when things got hard in high school. Sometimes it amazed Karen how similar her sons were in every way but their looks. Will was the spitting image of his father, Keith Scott, who had been killed just weeks after Karen must have conceived. She had experience at being a single parent, but the circumstances had certainly been different.

"Did he say who it was?" Karen asked, snapping out of her thoughts. Will shook his head.

"Just that he wanted to talk to you. Can I go meet Deena at the park?" Karen nodded.

"Be back before sundown and be careful," she told him, holding the phone up to her ear and watching her son leave the café. "Hello?" As the man on the phone spoke, Karen's face began to fall. The bell above the café door sounded, Deb entering with several bags in hand.

"I got everything on the list except for the Bisquick," she informed Karen before noticing that her friend was on the phone. Seeing the pained expression on Karen's face, Deb sat the grocery bags down on the counter and gave the other woman a questioning look. A few moments later, Karen hit the off button and slowly lowered the phone.

"Can you cover for me for a minute?" Karen asked. "I have to make a call." Deb nodded, concern growing on her face.

"Of course," she told Karen, stepping behind the counter as Karen took off, phone still in hand.

* * *

Lucas propped his feet up on the wooden coffee table and sunk down into the couch, turning his television on. His home in Miami was small, about half the size of his home growing up, but it was perfect for him. He figured at the stage of life he was in he didn't need much space, just a one bedroom one story house, reasonably cheap and within walking distance of the gym.

He had the day off, Craig had been too hung over to meet with him. Lucas wasn't sure if he was more amused or annoyed with the boy, but he had no doubt that he was going to make the best of his day off. Even if the best just included sitting on his couch watching Comedy Central.

From a far corner of his house, the phone rang, pulling Lucas from his thoughts. Climbing off of the couch he began to search the house for the phone, cursing himself for hardly ever picking up. Finally locating it, in the washing machine of all places, and he wasn't even going to wonder how that worked out. Pulling it out of the machine he turned it on and headed back for the living room.

"Hello? Oh, hey mom. What's wrong? When? Yeah I want to be there. I'll get a flight out as soon as I can. Thanks for letting me know..." Lucas stared at the phone in his hands for a few moments before turning it back on and punching in the familiar numbers of Nathan and Haley's house.

* * *

"Daddy, Uncle Luke is on the machine," Emily announced happily as she ran into the den where her parents sat. Lifting her head from Nathan's lap Haley patted Nathan lightly on the knee to help push herself to her feet. Yawning she followed her daughter into the front of the house just in time to hear the answering machine cut off. Throwing her head back in frustration she let out a heavy groan, hitting the playback button. 

"Hales, Nate, call me when you get the chance," Lucas's voice sounded over the small grey machine.

"Vague," Haley muttered, pulling the phone from its cradle next to the answering machine and dialing Lucas. "Luke, hey, it's me. What's up?" she asked."Wait, what did you say? When did it happen? Nathan's got time off practice, we'll get down there as soon as we can."

"What's wrong?" Nathan asked Haley upon her re-entering the den, Emily close behind as she also wondered what was wrong.

"We need to drive down to Tree Hill.." Haley started.

* * *

"Hello? Love Shack's whore house, now serving number seventeen," Amber said into the apartment phone, panting. She had just entered the flat after a three mile run and had planned on collapsing from exhaustion, not really in the mood to chat. She giggled at the confusion evident on the callers voice and assured him that he hadn't accidentally called a whore house. "Who are you looking for?" Amber asked him. Waiting a few seconds for the caller to answer she sat the phone on the table and ran over to the bedroom she shared with Peyton and Liza, throwing the door open. 

The blonde sat up quickly as the door slammed into the wall. "Trying to give someone a heart attack?" Peyton asked her friend. Rolling her eyes, Amber entered the room and threw herself on the bottom bunk bed.

"Some guy's on the phone for you. Are you hiding a boyfriend from us, Sawyer?" she questioned. After climbing down from the top bunk Peyton stuck her head in the lower to face Amber.

"Funny. No. And you know nothing stays secret in this house. We're all too nosy for our own good."

"This is very true," Amber agreed. Rolling her eyes, Peyton left the room and made a b-line for the phone.

"This is Peyton," she said, trying to think of who would be calling her. As far as she knew no one had the flat number except for doctors, lawyers and their land lord, the group all used their cell phones for personal calls. "Nathan? God, it's been like four months, how are you? How are Haley and Emily? What's up? Seriously? I'll be on the next flight out. Yeah, I still have the key for my dad's house, I can stay there. Nate? Thanks for calling."

* * *

"Brooke Davis," Brooke said, moving her latte over to her left hand, sliding the shopping bags that she had been holding on in her left hand down her wrist. She readjusted herself, moving her cell phone from its spot between her chin and shoulder into her right hand. "Hales!" she shouted excitedly into her phone once she recognized the callers voice. 

Hailing a cab she tossed her bags into the back seat, nearly spilling her drink all over. "How's the other coast treating you? What? No way. You're sure? I'll be there as soon as I get back to my place. Well I need to get plane tickets. Expedia, duh. I thought you were the smart one in this friendship. Thanks for the offer, I know somewhere I can stay. Yeah, I'll see you in a few days," Brooke told Haley. Ending the call she quickly gave the driver directions to her apartment before dialing Mark and instructing him to charge a ticket to Tree Hill for her.


	3. Arrival

**Notes: **Once again, thanks for all the reviews guys. Glad you're liking it so far.

**Chapter Three**  
_**August 23, 2014**_

Slinging her carry on bag over her should Brooke made her way into the crowded airport. Her flight had just landed and she was already nervous about being back in Tree Hill. She had never intended on coming back, but after the phone call she had received from Haley she knew that she had to, that if she didn't she wouldn't be able to live with herself. She gave the airport a quick scan before locating who she was looking for. Grinning, she pushed her way though the crowd to the other girl.

"Hello friend," she said happily.

"Brooke!" Rachel exclaimed excitedly. She threw her arms around Brooke and pulled her into a hug. The girls had started out their senior year hating each other but by graduation they had become good friends. Both girls had realized that their original opinion on the other had been wrong, discovering that they were much more similar then they had been willing to admit to before. After everything had happened between Brooke and Peyton Rachel had offered up the guest room at her house, allowing Brooke to have a place to live for the rest of the year. The two had bonded through living and cheering together and Brooke had been there for Rachel after Cooper had died, helping her new friend cope with the loss of him and the single parenthood that awaited her.

After Brooke had moved to New York for college she had been sure to keep in contact with Rachel. She had even cut a midterm when she had gotten a call from Bevin saying that Rachel was in labor. She had gotten a flight down to Tree Hill and shown up at the hospital just in time for the birth of Deena Nicole Lee.

When Brooke had moved to California she had been sure to keep in contact with Rachel, Haley, Nathan and Rachel being the only two she had steadily kept contact with over the past few years.

"How was your flight?" Rachel asked. Brooke shrugged as the girls parted from their hug.

"It was pretty good. Serious time change jet lag though," Brooke said. "And I really have to pee. Airplane bathrooms are creepy." Laughing, Rachel agreed.

"I'll go get your bags from the claim and meet you at the front door?" she suggested.

"Thanks so much Rach," Brooke responded, smiling at the red head and taking off for the bathroom.

* * *

Being in Tree Hill again was eerie. Peyton had hardly even returned to the town when she was in college, and the rare vacations that her father had been home and she had made the effort to get to Tree Hill to spend time with him she laid low. 

She leaned against the baggage claim, waiting for her bag to come around on the conveyor belt. The baggage claim had always been her least favorite part of flying, she had always had a fear of her bags being lost. She knew that it could be traced back to her thirteenth summer when she and Brooke had flown out to Texas alone together for cheer camp and Brooke's bag had been accidentally been put on a flight to Vermont. Brooke had ended up having to wear Peyton's clothes for the first week and a half until her bag had made it down to Texas.

"I'm glad you're home. Even if it's under these circumstances," Larry Sawyer said from next to her, pulling his daughter out of her memories. Peyton smiled weakly at him. She loved her dad, she really did, but she couldn't help having the sinking feeling that the next few days were going to drive her back to high school all over again. Nathan and Haley were in town, she knew that much, and she had no doubt in her mind that Lucas was as well. And of course, if Haley had been notified Brooke had been notified, the two had been best friends at the end of high school and Haley wasn't the kind of girl to cut ties with a friend.

Unless said friend was Peyton, who Haley hadn't spoken to since her wedding. No one had, really, expect Rachel, Nathan and Bevin. Her former friends had all sided with Brooke, and she couldn't really blame them, and Peyton's status had gone from insanely popular to social outcast over night.

"There's my bag," Peyton said, diving over the conveyor belt to grab a large black duffel.

"Ready to get out of here?"

"You have no idea," Peyton told him. Larry wrapped his arm supportively around his daughter's shoulders and began to usher her out of the parking lot. She paused for a moment, spotting a flash of a familiar figure run past her. Peyton shook her head, too much paranoia was setting in. She just needed to get back to her father's house.

* * *

"Is it weird being back?" Haley asked, entering Nathan's old bedroom. They had arrived in Tree Hill the night before, opting to stay in a motel near the outskirts of town because of the hour. They had driven out to Deb's house that morning. 

"Oh yeah," Nathan nodded. Even when the Scott family had returned to Tree Hill to spend holidays, often they joined up with Karen and Lucas, they had never stayed at Nathan's mother's house. Too many bad memories of his childhood haunted the large house. Needless to say he had never been overly eager to go back, regardless of how good his relationship with his mother had ended up becoming. The café was neutral meeting territory and the Tree Hill hotels had never been _that _awful.

"I promised Brooke that I was going to meet her at Karen's today," Haley announced after taking note of the time Nathan's digital clock was reading. "Do you have any plans?"

From the spot where he had thrown himself on his old bed Nathan shook his head. "Tell Brooke I said hi though." Taking her purse from the pile of baggage they had dropped on the floor she quickly leaned over and kissed Nathan before heading out of the room.


End file.
